@innsaneink said:
So we wont be signing Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic then….
NRL: Bird faces axe at Titans after altercation
- Thread starter Newtown
- Start date
So we wont be signing Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic then….
jirskyr
Well-known member
@Tiger Come Lately said:
I said sometimes, you have to use appropriate judgement.
A scuffle with a security guard is not the same as forced entry into someone's apartment. I am aware of Bird's domestic violence event and no I don't think that is tolerable.
The point I was making is that there can be a fine line in getting strong aggressive players and wanting zero off-field incidents.
@jirskyr said:
First off, there are plenty of players with tough on-field approaches who don't have bad reputations off it. Jesse Bromwich, say. Even Jared Waerea-Hargreaves unless I'm forgetting something. Josh Jackson. Matt Scott. James Graham. Sam Burgess. And so on.
Second, I think there's a difference between a bit of low-level impetuousness of youth type misdemeanour activity and your full-on Greg Bird or Matt Lodge type thuggery. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Nate Myles but the kind of things he's got in trouble for - especially given he was pretty young at the time - are really just bucks do gone wrong type of efforts. Slap on the wrist and a fine.
Basically what I'm saying is the real scumbags are relatively few and far between and I hope my club doesn't feel the need to hire any of them because of some supposed correlation between being a complete wit off the field and being tough on it.
jirskyr
Well-known member
@2041 said:
I totally get what you are saying, but I don't think you can just split on and off-field behaviours into two pools. Some incidents on-field are just as bad.
I would also say we would be surprised if all dirty laundry was aired on all players. I've heard things from reliable people, things that don't go public and it applies to the behaviour of a very broad number of players.
Specific to the players you have mentioned, Bromwich and Scott are not enforcers and don't hurt people. They do tough quality metres just like Woodsie does.
JWH is more of the enforcer type and has been suspended, what, 9 times?
James Graham can absolutely be a loose cannon - the Adam Reynolds charge and associated ref abuse, biting suspension on Billy Slater, association with verbal abuse of Jayne Azzopardi.
I just think there is a really fine line, as I've said before, between enforcer/intimidator and erring on the wrong side of trouble. I do not ever condone criminal activity, especially violence against women, but there are other incidents which are not so severe but put players into that "no Dheads" policy.
I'm totally happy for Tigers to avoid the Dhead players, but on the other hand lots of supporters bemoan how we aren't tough or intimidating enough, and I see a correlation.
Even our most recent enforcer-type, Marty Taupau, so many people were upset he left, and he definitely
Bird accused of second pub incident
By AAP
3 hours ago
The NRL career of former Gold Coast skipper Greg Bird is hanging by a thread after he was allegedly involved in yet another pub incident. The 31-year-old is being investigated by the NRL integrity unit after allegedly being embroiled in two alcohol-fuelled incidents in the space of 24 hours during teammate Anthony Don's bucks party weekend.
The former NSW and Australian back-rower was refused entry to a Byron Bay hotel last Friday, News Corp Australia reports, putting his future at the Titans in jeopardy. The incident occurred just a day before Bird's group was asked to leave a bar in Brunswick Heads in northern NSW. Bird has denied wrongdoing in that incident or involvement in a violent scuffle with a bouncer that ensued, but this latest revelation will be poorly received by his club and the NRL.
"Greg Bird was here on Friday night. He was asked to leave," a spokesman for The Sticky Wicket Bar told News Corp. "He was here on Friday night then had the Brunswick incident the next night. The NRL integrity unit came in to see us and they are onto it. It was just Greg who was asked to leave. He never got served a drink because he was too intoxicated."
©AAP2016
Read more at http://wwos.nine.com.au/2016/09/22/19/04/titans-star-accused-of-second-pub-incident#eKHxU4qzOiCU0p8T.99
By AAP
3 hours ago
The NRL career of former Gold Coast skipper Greg Bird is hanging by a thread after he was allegedly involved in yet another pub incident. The 31-year-old is being investigated by the NRL integrity unit after allegedly being embroiled in two alcohol-fuelled incidents in the space of 24 hours during teammate Anthony Don's bucks party weekend.
The former NSW and Australian back-rower was refused entry to a Byron Bay hotel last Friday, News Corp Australia reports, putting his future at the Titans in jeopardy. The incident occurred just a day before Bird's group was asked to leave a bar in Brunswick Heads in northern NSW. Bird has denied wrongdoing in that incident or involvement in a violent scuffle with a bouncer that ensued, but this latest revelation will be poorly received by his club and the NRL.
"Greg Bird was here on Friday night. He was asked to leave," a spokesman for The Sticky Wicket Bar told News Corp. "He was here on Friday night then had the Brunswick incident the next night. The NRL integrity unit came in to see us and they are onto it. It was just Greg who was asked to leave. He never got served a drink because he was too intoxicated."
©AAP2016
Read more at http://wwos.nine.com.au/2016/09/22/19/04/titans-star-accused-of-second-pub-incident#eKHxU4qzOiCU0p8T.99
Glen_McWilliams
New member
If being pissed in a pub is an 'incident' worth reporting I should have a newspaper dedicated to myself.
@Glen McWilliams said:
Mine would run into an evening edition.
@jirskyr said:
It's almost impossible to come up with an on-field incident that remotely ranks with what the likes of Lodge, Packer or Bird have done off field.
I can't comment on 'no d heads' as I don't have any insight into team politics. But in a vacuum I'm much more relaxed about low level misdemeanours off-field than a lot of people seem to be. I'd prefer players to be professional (ie not getting fall-down drunk during the season at all) and to keep their more stupid activities out of the way of prying eyes. But the Mitchell Pearce type of thing (sloppy drunk, maybe some recreational drugs, acting a tosser) - actually I couldn't really care less. I just don't think it's ever necessary to go down the route of employing a genuine scumbag in order to get toughness on field.
In fact, if you look at the really nasty off-field incidents there are just as many players involved who aren't 'enforcers' in the game. Robert Lui, say - hardly an on-field enforcer.
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@Liddy said:
On Fox confirmed to catalans
N
newtiger
Guest
The Titans have all but ruled out making a late play for off-contract Wests Tigers back-rower Elijah Taylor as they weigh up their recruitment options in the wake of Greg Bird's departure to the Catalans Dragons in 2017.
Bird was on Wednesday released from the final year of his contract at Gold Coast to sign a five-year deal with Catalans, the club where he played 23 games in 2009 during his exile from the NRL.
Upon his return to the NRL Bird played 129 games across seven seasons for the Titans but the club's board had become increasingly tired of his regular association with off-field incidents in recent years and were happy to grant his release.
Bird's departure takes the number of NRL games worth of experience to have left the Titans since the end of the season past the 1,000 mark with senior players such as Nathan Friend, Josh Hoffman, Luke Douglas and David Mead all moving on.
The club has expressed interest in bringing Storm forward Kevin Proctor back to the Gold Coast where he completed his schooling but chief operating officer Tony Mestrov confirmed that officials will spend the next few days discussing the balance of recruiting a marquee player or whether to spread the remainder of their salary cap across the four available spots.
After bringing an extra dimension to their attack following his mid-season switch from the Panthers, Taylor has expressed a desire to remain at the Wests Tigers and a club official confirmed that they were confident of coming to an agreement in the near future.
But a deal has not yet been signed and former Titans football manager Scott Sattler believes the 26-year-old Kiwi international would represent the perfect replacement for a ball-playing lock forward such as Bird.
"Elijah Taylor would be the perfect fit. He'd be that missing link that you miss when you lose someone like Bird," Sattler told NRL.com.
"Because Greg Bird has been such a good player for the Titans – and he has been – I think you've got to replace him with a like-minded player.
"High work-rate, subtle skills with the ball in hand, physical in defence, energetic with everything that he does and guys like Elijah Taylor and Lewis Brown are the first that come to mind.
"You're losing a guy that is tough in the trenches, he's a guy that players want to play with but he's also got beautiful subtle skills as well.
"He's got great footwork, he's still quick, he's good with the ball in hand and defensively, he's a guy that the opposition has a look out of the corner of their eye to see where he is.
"[Taylor] would be perfect. He's played in grand finals, he's come under some really good coaches. He'd be perfect."
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Player Head-to-Head
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Elijah
Taylor
Wests Tigers
Games Played: 15
Tackles
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663
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553
All Run Metres
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739
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3045
Offloads
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4
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22
Tackle Breaks
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3
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45
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Greg
Bird
Titans
Games Played: 22
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More and more in the modern game players are being positioned to leave their current club a year out from the end of their contract to take longer-term deals elsewhere, making the player market an increasingly fluid one.
There are some 230 players off-contract at the end of the 2017 season but Sattler is adamant the Titans need to find someone to fit the Bird mould in order to build on their unexpected success this season.
"Because they had such a good year this year that's why you've got to replace him with a like-minded player. You've got to keep that momentum and rhythm going that has been working for them," said Sattler.
"He seems to be one of those players that always gets lost in the traffic but a guy like Elijah Taylor has the ability to lift the intensity of a game with their involvement.
"I remember watching him as a 16-year-old and he had these beautiful, subtle set of hands and I kept wondering why teams weren't using him more in that sort of role.
"[The Tigers] weren't relying on Brooks and Moses because he was adding those little subtle touches around the ruck.
"Is he going to be part of their plans moving forward? You don't know
Bird was on Wednesday released from the final year of his contract at Gold Coast to sign a five-year deal with Catalans, the club where he played 23 games in 2009 during his exile from the NRL.
Upon his return to the NRL Bird played 129 games across seven seasons for the Titans but the club's board had become increasingly tired of his regular association with off-field incidents in recent years and were happy to grant his release.
Bird's departure takes the number of NRL games worth of experience to have left the Titans since the end of the season past the 1,000 mark with senior players such as Nathan Friend, Josh Hoffman, Luke Douglas and David Mead all moving on.
The club has expressed interest in bringing Storm forward Kevin Proctor back to the Gold Coast where he completed his schooling but chief operating officer Tony Mestrov confirmed that officials will spend the next few days discussing the balance of recruiting a marquee player or whether to spread the remainder of their salary cap across the four available spots.
After bringing an extra dimension to their attack following his mid-season switch from the Panthers, Taylor has expressed a desire to remain at the Wests Tigers and a club official confirmed that they were confident of coming to an agreement in the near future.
But a deal has not yet been signed and former Titans football manager Scott Sattler believes the 26-year-old Kiwi international would represent the perfect replacement for a ball-playing lock forward such as Bird.
"Elijah Taylor would be the perfect fit. He'd be that missing link that you miss when you lose someone like Bird," Sattler told NRL.com.
"Because Greg Bird has been such a good player for the Titans – and he has been – I think you've got to replace him with a like-minded player.
"High work-rate, subtle skills with the ball in hand, physical in defence, energetic with everything that he does and guys like Elijah Taylor and Lewis Brown are the first that come to mind.
"You're losing a guy that is tough in the trenches, he's a guy that players want to play with but he's also got beautiful subtle skills as well.
"He's got great footwork, he's still quick, he's good with the ball in hand and defensively, he's a guy that the opposition has a look out of the corner of their eye to see where he is.
"[Taylor] would be perfect. He's played in grand finals, he's come under some really good coaches. He'd be perfect."
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Player Head-to-Head
| See More
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Elijah
Taylor
Wests Tigers
Games Played: 15
Tackles
\
\
\
\
\
663
\
\
\
\
\
\
553
All Run Metres
\
\
\
\
\
739
\
\
\
\
\
\
3045
Offloads
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\
\
\
\
4
\
\
\
\
\
\
22
Tackle Breaks
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\
\
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3
\
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\
\
\
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45
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Greg
Bird
Titans
Games Played: 22
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More and more in the modern game players are being positioned to leave their current club a year out from the end of their contract to take longer-term deals elsewhere, making the player market an increasingly fluid one.
There are some 230 players off-contract at the end of the 2017 season but Sattler is adamant the Titans need to find someone to fit the Bird mould in order to build on their unexpected success this season.
"Because they had such a good year this year that's why you've got to replace him with a like-minded player. You've got to keep that momentum and rhythm going that has been working for them," said Sattler.
"He seems to be one of those players that always gets lost in the traffic but a guy like Elijah Taylor has the ability to lift the intensity of a game with their involvement.
"I remember watching him as a 16-year-old and he had these beautiful, subtle set of hands and I kept wondering why teams weren't using him more in that sort of role.
"[The Tigers] weren't relying on Brooks and Moses because he was adding those little subtle touches around the ruck.
"Is he going to be part of their plans moving forward? You don't know
